Updated October 2026
Across 11 pages
of 11
Nature name
With other bird names such as Lark and Phoenix on the rise, why not chirpy Sparrow? Nicole Richie and Joel Madden named their son, born in 2009, Sparrow James Midnight.
Word name, surname, and literary name
Stark is an ancient surname derived from the Old English word stearc, meaning firm and unyielding. In modern parlance, stark means severe or plain. But Stark's use as a first name -- 15 boys were…
English word name or Korean
"sun; good, kind, virtuous"
A simple and appealing unisex Korean name with many possible meanings, depending on the hanja characters used. This spelling also coincides with the English word "sun", which is a nice bonus. Ray…
Irish
"little old one"
St. Senán was a famed 6th-century monk, who founded a monastery on Inis Cathaigh whose ruins can still be seen today. Legend has it that before he could found the monastery, he had to banish a great…
English
"marshy land near the sea"
Out playing shuffleboard at his condo and not expected back for several generations -- unless it morphs into a girls' name, a la Sydney.
English word name
Nice sound, but double meaning -- shady glen or shady character.
Sanskrit
"one who has accomplished a goal"
Siddhartha Guatama was the real name of Buddha, born in India in the 5th century BC. It has thus become a significant name among Buddhists, who follow Buddha's teachings. Siddhartha is derived from…
Hebrew
"name"
This down-to-earth Bible name is surprisingly little-used, considering the popularity of other Old Testament names. Shem was Noah's eldest son, and is the origin of the term Semitic (as in the…
Modern invented name
Though not technically a one-person name, since 30 baby boys were named Shemar in 2016, Shemar stems from one specific person, prolific actor Shemar Moore. He has said that his parents came up with…
English word name, diminutive of Sylvester
A bit too cunning.
"an account of incidents or events"
A new unisex word name with a lot of charm, especially appropriate for the child of writers. Soleil Moon Frye named her second baby boy Story and Jenna Elfman called her son Story Elias.
African word name from Swahili
"journey"
In the US this is likely to conjure zebras, lions and elephants on the Serengeti, but its original meaning "journey" broadens its wearability. Safari is a name common in Africa for babies born while…
English, Irish, or Jewish surname
"wild, untamed; grandfather"
It doesn't matter if Savage is a surname on your family tree — it's a highly controversial choice for a first name with connections to racism and colonialism. Despite this, over a dozen sets of…
Yiddish
"defender of men"
Also an English surname, Sender derives from Alexander and has an attractive modern sound. Though given to only a handful of baby boys per year, it nevertheless is in step with the brotherhood of…
Biblical place name, Hebrew
"hatred"
Mount Sinai is a place sacred to the Jewish, Christian, and Islamic religions, the mountain on which Moses received the Ten Commandments. Sinai is also the name of the peninsula where Mount Sinai is…
"unaccompanied"
Solo is a singular word name with special meaning for Star Wars fans. Equally appropriate for girls and boys, it works especially well in the middle.
Roman mythology name
If you've rejected all the names on earth, you might move on to the sixth planet from the sun, also the Roman god of agriculture and plenty, and the origin of Saturday.
"searcher"
Sheridan is one surname-name that hasn't come into style for either gender, though it was lightly used for boys around the turn of the 20th century and girls 100 years later. The name does have an…
Latin
"wood; forest"
In Roman mythology, Silvanus was the god of the forests. He protected farmers and fields and was credited with developing a system for marking field boundaries. Silvanus is the name of a disciple in…
English from Latin
"when the sun stands still"
Solstice graduated from word to official first name when author Lionel Shriver used it for a character in her novel Big Brother . But of course, there were people named Solstice before: 16 baby girls…